Steam purifier discharge



July 26, 1932. w. J. HUGHES 1,869,149

STEAM PURIFIER DISCHARGE Filed May 2. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZZZ 677267- July 26, 1932.

w. J. HUGHES STEAM PURIFIER DISCHARGE Filed May 2. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT crates WALTER J. HUGHES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ZEOLITE COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS STEAM PURIFIER DISCHARGE Application filed May 2, 1927. Serial No. 188,105.

This invention relates to steam purifiers and more particularly relates to means of removing the collected water and impurities therefrom.

In the copending application of lValter J. Hughes, and others, Serial Number 188,104, filed May 2nd, 1927, there is disclosed a steam purifier adapted to be placed within a boiler and in which the moisture of the steam is removed by a series of deflecting vanes such moisture being collected in a chamber in the lower part ofsuch purifier.

It is often desirable to remove the collected water and impurities to a point exterior to the boiler shell. The water carried by the steam generated in an ordinary boiler contains the same impurities as the water in the boiler and the moreimpure water in the boiler, the more impure the steam will be and the more water it will entrain.

It readily follows that since the amount of water collected by the purifier from the steam corresponds to the quantity and quality of the steam generated and since the quality decreases with higher solid concentration, the water removed from the steam by the purifier is in reality a partial blow-down of the boiler and will increase with an increase in the solid concentration.

Although the water could be removed to the exterior of the boiler in various manners, nevertheless it has been the practice to have the drain line from the collecting chamber under the steam purifier lead to a steam trap, WlllCll is exterior to the boiler drum. Since the pipe line which leads from the collecting chamber of such steam purifier'to the steam trap is of considerable length, much difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a rapid gravity flow of water against the return flow of the displaced steam from the steam trap. When a large quantity of water is suddenly collected in the chamber at the bottom of the purifier and covers the outlet end of the connecting pipe, the steam will pass out of the steam trap back into the boiler with considerable difficulty with the result that the collected water will not be removed as rapidly from the steam purifier as is necessary. As a result enough water may collect in the steam purifier to cause a flooded and inoperative condition.

The object of this invention is to provide a means bywhich the water from the collecting chamber of the steam purifier will be discharged to the exterior of the boiler by boiler pressure.

The accompanying drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a boiler and steam purifier attached thereto with their connections;

Figure 2 represents a means for periodically discharging the water collected by the steam purifier;

Figure 3 represents an end. view of the V boiler with the various connections-leading to the steam purifier;

Figure 4. represents a detailed showing of a means of opening the discharge line from the collecting chamber of the steam purifier.

In Figure l the boiler shell 11 is about half filled with water 12, and contains the steam space 18. The steam passes through the steam'purifier sections 14 on its way to the steam outlet or nozzle. In the steam purifier sections 14 the moisture and impurities in the steam are removed andcollected in the chambers 15, under each purifier section with the exception of the one farthest to the left, which has a special collection chamber 16 for the section above same and into which the other collecting chambers 15 are drained by means of pipe 17.

In Figure 2 are shown the details of the collecting chamber 16. The collected water from all the steam purifier sections drain into the collecting chamber 16 which contains the ball float 18 to which is attached a rod 19 which moves a pivoted lug 20 having two fixed projecting pins 21. These fixed pins 21 when moved by the ball float 18, engage and move the trip weight 22 to either the left or the right, depending upon the level of the water in the chamber 16. Attached'to-the trip weight is the cam 23 which actuates a'bell crank lever 24. In the figure the solid lines show the trip weight to the right releasing the horizontal arm of lever 24, which is position when the collecting chamber is emp tied.

The position of the trip weight 22 and lever 24, when the collecting chamber 16 is full with float 18 elevated is shown by the dotted lines. When the chamber 16 fills with water, the ball float 18 will be elevated until the weight 22 passes the center position and falls to the left. This will cause the cam 23 instantly to press down thehorizontal arm of the bell crank lever 24, which will move the valve rod 25 to the right andquickly open the pilot valve 26. This will admit steam under boiler pressure to the pipe 27, which will cause the opening of the line 29 in a manner, which later will be described, to discharge the water from the chamber 16 toatmosphere quickly by force of the boiler pressure. As the water discharges from the chamber 16 the ball float 18 will descend to alower position. Thereupon, the weight 22 will be lifted until it passes the center position and falls to the right. The horizontal arm of the bell crank lever 24 will be released and will return to its normal position thus permitting instant closing of valve 26 and cutting off the steam pressure to pipe line 27.

The steam pressure admitted into the pipe 27 by the valve 26 is conveyed to the cylinder of the valve 28 (see Figures 1, 3 and 4). Since the area of the piston 31 (see Figure 4) is greater than that of the valve 33, when boiler pressure acts through line 27 against the piston, the unbalanced efl'ect causes opening of the valve 33 in a substantially instantaneous manner, compressing the spring 32 and provides free passage from the pipe 29 to the pipe 30. The moisture collected in the chamber 16 is thus quickly discharged by boiler pressure. The location of the discharging valve 28 external to the boiler rather than in direct connection to the moisture collecting chamber 16 of the steam purifier is of obvious advantage in that it is always accessible and readily operated by hand if desired The lowered level of water in the chambers 16 effects closure of the pilot valve 26 as de scribed above, thus cutting off the boiler pressure from the piston 31 in the cylinder of the valve 28. Leakage'around the piston 31 together with the action of the spring 32 closes the valve 33 and prevents escape and loss of steam. The piston 31 isso fitted inthe valve 28 as to enable the steam to leak past when the steam pressure is cut ofi by the valve 26. The boiler pressure in the line 29 assists the spring 32 in closing the valve 33 quickly. I

The pilot valve 26 (see Figure 2) is placed well up in the chamber above the highest normal water level and in case of abnormal conditlons during which the chamber 16 may re ceive suddenly a very large amount of water, an overflow back to the boiler is provided through the pipe 34. The top of the overflow pipe 34, which is protected by the open cap 35, is located just above the normal high water level at which discharge is effee-ted by the float.

The shield 36 protects the working parts of the float trip mechanism from the moisture and impurities which drip down from the steam purifier section above. 7 a

It is also possible to manually operate the steam purifier discharge. The valve 37 (see Figure 1) upon line 27 leading from the pilot valve 26 to the discharge valve 28 can be closed and the-valve 38 on the line 39 leading from the steam space of the boiler to the dis charge valve 28 can be opened or closed by hand. 1

It will be noted that this invention enables the r moval of the collected impurities irom the steam purifier to the exterior of the boiler by means of boiler pressure as contrasted to the usual drainage of such purifiers by means oi gravity flow. This will avoid the many diificulties encountered in the regurgitation of the steam from'the steam trap due-t0 stop: ping of the discharge line by either the downvardly flowing water or solid impurities.

i Vhat is claimed is 7 1. In combination with a vboiler, a steam purifier within the'st eam space of a boiler, a collecting chamber below said purifier, a discharge line from said collecting chamber extending outside of theboiler, a valve on said discharge line outside of the boiler, and means inside of the boiler for controlling the opening and closing of said valve.

2. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier within the steam space of a boiler, a collecting chamber below said purifier, a discharge line from said collecting chamber extending outside of the boiler, a piston-operatcd valve on said discharge line outside of the boiler, and means inside of the boiler for admitting fluid pressure to and for cutting off fluid pressure from said piston operated valve. I

3. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier within the steam space of a boiler, a collecting chamber below said purifier, a discharge line from said collecting chamber extending outside of the boiler, a valve on said discharge line outside of the boiler, and means inside said collecting chamber for controlling the opening and closing of said valve.

4. In combination, a boiler drum, a steam purifier positioned in the steam space of said boiler dru a collecting chamber positioned within said boiler drum to receive the moisture separated from the steam by the purifier, a discharge line extending from said collect ing chamber to a. place eXterior'to the boiler, a piston operated valve upon said line exterior to the boiler, a float-in said collecting chamber and actuated by the liquid therein, and means actuated by said float .to connect within said boiler drum adapted to receive the said piston operated valve with boiler pressure.

5. In combination, a boiler drum, a steam purifier positioned in the steam space of said (boiler drum, a collecting chamber positioned moisture separated from the steam by the purifier, a discharge line extending from said collecting chamber to a place exterior to the boiler, a piston operated valve upon said line exterior to the boiler, a float in said collecting chamber, means actuated by said float to connect said piston operated valve with boiler pressure.

6. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier within the steam space of a boiler, a collecting chamber below and closely adjacent the purifier, said chamber being open to the steam space of the boiler so that boiler pressure will be maintained upon the collected liquid, a discharge line from said collecting chamber extending to a place of atmospheric pressure without the boiler, means outside said boiler for opening and closing said line, and means for actuating said last mentioned means contained within said col lecting chamber.

7. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier within the steam space of the boiler,

a collecting chamber for liquid separated by said purifier, said chamber being open to the steam space of the boiler, a discharge line from said collecting chamber to a place of atmospheric pressure without the chamber, a float within said chamber, and means outside said boiler for opening said discharge line when said float reaches a predetermined level.

8. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier within the steam space of the boiler, a collecting chamber for liquid separated by said purifier, said chamber being open to the steam space or" the boiler, a discharge line from said collecting chamber to a place of atmospheric pressure without the chamber, a float within said chamber, a trip mechanism actuated by said float, and a pilot valve outside said boiler and opened and closed by said trip mechanism and associated with said discharge line for discharging liquid from said chamber.

9. In combination with a boiler, a steampurifier within the steam space of the boiler, a collecting chamber within the boiler for liquid separated by said purifier, a discharge line from said collecting chamber to a place of atmospheric pressure without the boiler, a piston-valve on said line outside the boiler, a steam line communicating with the steam space of said boiler and the piston side of said piston-valve, and means responsive to the liquid level within said chamber for controlling said steam line.

10. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier, a collecting chamber within the boiler for liquids separated by said purifier, a discharge line leading from said collecting chamber to without the boiler, a valve in said line exterior of the boiler, and means actuated by the level of liquid within said collecting chamber for controlling said valve.

11. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier, a collecting chamber within the boiler for liquid separated by said purifier, a discharge line leading from the collecting chamber to without the boiler and provided with a valve outside the boiler, and means actuated by the separated liquid for controlling said valve.

12. In combination with a boiler, a steam purifier, a collecting chamber within the boiler for liquid separated by said purifier, a discharge line leading from the collecting chamber to without the boiler, said line being provided with a control valve outside the boiler, and a trip mechanism actuated by the separated liquid for intermittently discharging said collecting chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

VVALTER J. HUGHES. 

